Isaac instantly becomes intrigued with a handsome man he notices across the room at the club. Turns out, this man has certainly noticed Isaac, and has been watching him the entire night. Too bad he's disappeared before Isaac could make a move.
For the next few weeks the man seems show up everywhere Isaac is, constantly watching him. The more he sees the mysterious stranger, the deeper his interest becomes. Oddly, every time Isaac makes a move toward the mystifying stranger, he vanishes from view, almost as if he were a ghost.

Xavier Kane has been searching for centuries for someone just like Isaac. Someone he could spend his life with, share his dreams with, and eventually, continue the bloodline. He sets off a little game of cat and mouse, designed to tempt Isaac into getting to know him. Xavier Kane isn’t an ordinary man, though, and he hides a big secret until the very end.

Will his deception be the end of Isaac and Xavier's budding love, or will Isaac give in to the promises made for love eternal.What does the future hold for Isaac and Xavier?

Chapter One

I hadn’t ever been to the club previously. I didn’t
even know it existed prior to then. Ever since the day I first walked in and saw
him, I knew I wanted –no, needed– to get to know him. He stood just a shade
over six feet tall, looked strong, without being overly muscular, and his hair
was the color of the darkest night. How I wished I could have gotten close to
him that night, to see him within a direct proximity, but it was not to be.

As soon as he saw I was watching him, he seemed to
disappear into the darkness of the club. No matter where I looked, I just
couldn’t find him again. I didn’t have to worry, though I wish I knew this at
the time, because it wasn’t going to be the last time I saw him. In fact, from
that night forward I saw him everywhere. In the streets, at work, in shops,
literally everywhere I would go. However, oddly enough, every time I tried to
get within a stone's throw of him, he would seem to vanish. I honestly couldn't
explain it, not even to myself.

It soon became almost like a game, I would see him,
make to move toward him and he would be gone, just like that. It was as if he
were toying with me, testing me, seeing just how much I wanted to get near him.
I must have passed his test, because after a few weeks of the dematerializing
act, he began to let me get closer. Not close enough to speak to him, or even
to make out his features perfectly, but closer than he did at the start. At
first, it was just two or three steps closer, then five or six, but soon I was
getting to within five feet of him and when I did, he would still turn and
dissipate, though I never could see just how he did it. One minute he'd be in my
line of sight, and the next, I'd blink, the area where he'd stood was empty.

It seemed impossible anyone could just disappear into
a crowd like he did, but I was witnessing it with my own eyes. It even got to
the stage where if I jumped forward I would be able to touch him, and I thought
about trying it but the look in his eyes told me not to. Something sinister
there, an odd, dark kind of spark perhaps, sent shivers running down my spine
each time I even speculated about reaching out a hand to touch him.

This went on for several weeks. I was becoming weary
of this same game, intriguing though it was, and was about ready to give up.
I'd started turning my back on him when he would appear. Counting to five, then
turning back to see if he'd gone away. Most times he did, though there were
some rare occasions where I had to count twice before he'd become nothing more
than a wispy shadow of my peripheral vision.

Just as I was contemplating how to get him out of my
mind and stop this silly game once and for all, it happened.

Once again, he was there, this time as I entered the
underground car park to fetch my car, and again I turned my back on him, closed
my eyes and began to count.

One...two...three...f—

Only this time, before I got to five, he was in front
of me and standing just inches away.

“Hello, Isaac,” he said, causing me to jump.

Opening my eyes, I looked at him, finally seeing him a
hair's breadth away from me for the first time. I went weak at the knees, as
if, suddenly, I were the one who was about to become nothing more than a
shadow. My senses were on high alert, my mind spinning, and my skin almost
tingling with anticipation. He was stunning, and I felt as if my very breath
had been ripped from my body, every thought had begun to swirl relentlessly throughout
my brain. I stood still, not moving a muscle for fear it would cause this
beautiful apparition to whither away right in front of my eyes before I'd even
had the chance to form words within my consciousness.

His swept back hair, tied in a ponytail, shone under
the lights of the car park, appearing to have an almost blue-black highlighted
appearance. His face was handsome, the five o’clock shadow gracing his chiseled
chin, and emphasized his masculinity. His eyes were a mesmerizing, piercing
green, a color I'd never seen on another person in my entire life.

“H-h-hello.” I wondered how he knew my name but, for
some reason, I dared not ask. Some form of instinct told me not to ask
questions just yet.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said, ignoring my stammer.
“My name is Xavier Kane, and I have noticed you following me for the past for
weeks.”

Shock at the accusation seemed to spring open the
imaginary lock on my mouth and my words were suddenly freed from their trap. I
spouted back, “Hang on, I haven’t been following you. You are the one who has
been following me.”

“And, why would I be following you?”

“That, I don’t know,” I replied. “But when I tried to
get near you to ask, you would just disappear.”

“Well, if that is what you think, ask away. I’m here
right in front of you now.”

I stared at him, not believing what he was saying, and
opened my mouth to ask him but nothing came out.

“Just as I suspected,” Xavier said. “You can’t ask me
because it was, in fact, you following me.”

Once again I tried to argue, but as he continued to
stare at me, I found myself unable to say a word.

“I’ll tell you what, Isaac,” he began. “Why don’t we
get in your car and you can take me for a drink to explain yourself.”

Although I had previous plans, spending some time with
Xavier appealed to me far more than they did. After all, his random appearance
those first and subsequent nights, in so many places I'd gone, and the mystery
of his ceasing to exist every time I thought I'd finally caught up to him, had
all but taken over my life.

I walked over to my car at a pace to rival that of
Xavier's disappearing act, and palming the key, I fit it into the door lock and
turned to the left until I heard an audible click as the bonding mechanism let
go. It sounded unusually loud tonight, long and drawn out, like the world
around us had suddenly become hushed, time had slowed, and the tumbler within
the latch had dropped like a bowling ball going down an un-shined, uneven
laneway in the alley.

I climbed in first, and reached across the seats to
unlock the passenger door. Leaning back slightly, still wondering if this
figment of my imagination were real this time or if, yet again, I would be left
disappointed and alone. I let out a rush of pent up breath I was unaware I was
holding as the door was opened from the other side. I watched, as Xavier
brushed the seat with his hand, as if some dust, entirely invisible to me, had
settled upon the cloth covering and he didn't want to mar his clothing, before
climbing in.

“Do you have anywhere in particular you would like to
go?” I heard myself ask, though I didn't remember forming the thought in my
head before the words slipped from my mouth.

“No, the choice is totally up to you,” he said,
flashing a slight smile I didn’t quite understand.

“Okay,” I said, before turning the key and switching
the ignition on. The car rumbled to life, the engine purring beneath the hood.

I pulled the car out of the parking space, cautious of
the possibility of other vehicles or pedestrians that may be around. Usually
this particular lot was quite busy, so now that I actually thought about it, I
was stunned to realize we were the only ones about.

I made my way to the exit thinking I actually knew of
the perfect place to take Xavier: a quiet little pub just on the outskirts of
town. I pulled out of the car park, turned, and headed down the freeway,
speeding past light after dwindling light, ever closer in the direction of the
darkness.

“Excellent choice for a bar,” Xavier broke the
stillness. “In fact, it is one of my favorite haunts.”

How
the fuck did he know where I was going? I hadn't even spoken since just after
getting into the vehicle. I decided to shrug it off since much
of what happened with the appearance of this man hadn't truly made sense to me
anyway. Perhaps I'd said something aloud and didn't even remember. I did feel
out of sorts, like my mind was filled with some sort of fog, yet swirling out
of control with so many questions and random thoughts I still dared not
verbalize. I have no idea why I knew I should say nothing. I just did.

Continuing to drive in silence, I occasionally glanced
at Xavier out of the corner of my eye, further admiring the choice and cut of
his clothing, and a strength of character and dominance that seemed to ooze
from his firm, straight posture. He appeared completely controlled, like he
knew where we were going and that it was his will for us to get there. His
long, slim legs framed by form fitting leather pants were propped slightly at
the knees, the leg room too small for his height. I wondered briefly what his
chest looked like under the white collared dress shirt and the long leather
coat wrapped around his fame. My mouth had begun to water at the images that
suddenly rushed through my imagination. I truly needed to focus on the road if
we were to arrive in one piece. I forced the now lurid images from my mind,
determined to regain some control of my fleeing intellect and leave the
contemplation until we arrived.

My determination didn't last very long before I was
again lost in thought, curious to know if he thought the same about me as I did
him. After all, I had been told I wasn’t a bad looking guy. I stood six feet
tall, weighed about 210-220lbs, and, after spending far too much time at the
gym, was pretty well built.

It was Xavier who finally broke the silence inside the
car. “So, Isaac, are you ready to tell me why you have been following me?”

Still unable to believe he thought it had been me
following him, I didn’t know what to say, but heard myself start to talk even
though I hadn’t meant to.

“Look, Xavier, I am sorry if you think I was following
you. I really thought it was the other way around. But, the truth is, since the
first time I saw you at the club I have been desperate to get to know you
better.”

“And, now, you will get the opportunity,” he said as I
pulled the car into the pub car park.

Parking the car close to the door, I turned the engine
off, and then climbed out. Closing my door, I walked around the car, and, for
some strange reason, opened the door for Xavier.

“Very kind,” he said as he stepped from my vehicle.
“Shall we go in, Isaac?”

I didn’t answer. I just opened the door, waited until
Xavier entered, and then followed him in. Once inside, Xavier went and sat at a
small table as far from the bar as possible, whilst I went up to the bar and
ordered two large scotches. Once I had paid, I took the glasses to where Xavier
was sitting, handed him one, and then sat opposite him.

For a few minutes we just sat there, sipping our
drinks, eyeing each other up, when it suddenly dawned on me I knew absolutely
nothing about him, except his name. For all I knew, he could have been a bank
robber, serial fraudster, or even worse, a serial killer, and I began to feel
uneasy.

“It’s okay, Isaac, I am none of those things,” he
said, as if he had read my thoughts, making me feel even more uneasy. “You are
perfectly safe with me.”

Maybe
he’s psychic. I was still unable to believe that he seemed to be
able to read my mind. If he is, I better
be careful what I think from now on.

“Xavier, I honestly wasn’t following you,” I said.

“Never mind about that now, Isaac. We are here now,
together. Let us enjoy each other’s company.”

“Okay, sounds good to me,” I replied. “Would you like
another drink?”

“I won’t say no, but you must be careful,” Xavier
said. “Don’t forget you still have to drive me back home.”

“Very true. Maybe I shall just have a small one this
time.”

I got up and made my way back to the bar with my brain
still racing at his ability to, seemingly, read my mind. I tried to remember
what else had gone through my thoughts since I had been with him. I hope he doesn’t know exactly what I think
of him. That could be awkward.

Deciding this was going to be our last drink, and we
would leave once we had finished it, I took the glasses back to our table and
sat back down.

“Isaac, what would you think if I suggested we left
after this drink?” Xavier asked.

Fuck,
he’s done it again! He’s read my fucking mind.

“It’s just, I would like to get back home before it’s
too late,” he continued glancing at his watch.

Relief washed over me as I realized he hadn’t read my
mind, this time. He had just decided he wanted to go.

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” I took a long swallow
of my drink.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” I said, puzzled. “If you
want to go, that’s fine with me.”

I finished my drink, sat back, and while I waited for
Xavier to finish his, I really looked at him. I hadn’t really noticed before,
but his skin seemed pale, almost white, I and began to wonder if he suffered
from some sort of illness.

We left as we had entered, with me following Xavier,
opening the door for him, and then following him outside. Once we were in the
car park, he seemed in a hurry to leave, as if there was something bothering
him, and he just jumped into the car as soon as I unlocked it. Climbing in next
to him, I glanced across, noticed he seemed to be even paler than he was inside
the bar, and began to panic.

“Is everything okay, Xavier?” I started the car.

“I’ll be fine, Isaac,” he replied. “Just get me home,
please.”

Concerned for his welfare I put the car into gear,
stamped on the accelerator, and screeched out of the car park narrowly avoiding
another car that was turning in.

“Try not to kill yourself, Isaac,” Xavier said as I
sped back towards town, unsure exactly where I was supposed to be going.

“Don’t you worry about my driving.” I knew I was a
good driver, despite my concern for my new friend. “Just tell me where I am
going and try to relax.”

“The Old Rectory, do you know it?”

“You’re joking right?”

“Why would I be joking, Isaac? I was fortunate enough
to purchase the building after they built the new rectory, and just before they
demolished it.”

“It’s just, I’d heard the rumors about that place.”
About how the old vicar went crazy, saying vampires were terrorizing him,
before massacring seven members of his congregation.

“Well, you know they say you should never listen to
rumors, Isaac,” Xavier leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, a small
smile forming on his lips.